


Stolen Childhood

by Auduna_Druitt



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Adjusting, Aftermath, Gen, Life after Tarsus, Nightmares, Tarsus IV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 22:04:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14882064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auduna_Druitt/pseuds/Auduna_Druitt
Summary: After being rescued from the horrors of Tarsus Jim and his "kids" return to Earth. Jim struggles to deal with what happened and Winona doesn't know what to do.





	Stolen Childhood

The ship was bigger than the transport that had brought him to Tarsus and there were people everywhere all the time. They bustled around seeing to their duties as if there weren’t hundreds of starving refugees scattered around the ship. A small group of kids was the focus of the medical staff much to thirteen year old Jim Kirk’s dismay. For the first couple of days he and his kids were poked and prodded while the staff tried to heal their varying injuries and ensure they were well hydrated and well fed while the kids kicked and screamed and cried for their leader. They wanted to split them up but Jim kept standing in their way. He was just a kid and they could easily overpower him or sedate him but that wasn’t going to help him trust them. 

After the first night out of the medbay frantically searching for the children only to find them all huddled together they relented and allowed him to look after them. They had the names and planet of origin of all the children and were attempting to locate family. The captain had personally been in contact with Winona Kirk who was offworld at the time. She had arranged to be there to receive her son when the ship docked over Earth. 

Jim was a child of few words. When the littlest girl cried because she thought she saw her parents in the hallway he picked her up and whispered in her ear until she calmed down. He only trusted two people to help with his kids, Chris, the man that found them and Holly, the pretty blonde nurse that convinced them to lets him stay with his kids. She seemed to understand him better than anyone else. 

There were people that tried to talk to him and his kids about what they saw, about their parents, anything more than just their names and where they were from, but none of the children gave an answer without looking to Jim first. 

Three months after their rescue they docked. Jim and his kids were escorted into a shuttle by Chris and Holly. Jim sat nervously beside Chris as the shuttle took off for the planet. Chris looked over at him and gave him a smile. “It’s okay son. You’re home now.”

“What home?” he muttered under his breath. 

Chris reached over and patted his hand, “Your mom is waiting for you.”

Jim looked up at him in surprise, “She is?”

Chris nodded, “The captain contacted her after we picked you up.”

The shuttle continued on its course to Earth, it’s occupants looking out the windows in silence as the planet grew closer. Jim looked down at his lap and fidgeted with the hem of his grey t-shirt wondering whether she missed him, wondering if she would be glad to see him, wondering if things would change. He was so lost in thought he didn’t realize the shuttle had landed until Chris put a hand on his shoulder. He flinched and the man withdrew his hand. “We’ve landed.”

Jim nodded and stood to his feet. The other children flocked to him as the the door opened to the hangar. Jim took two of his littles by the hand and stepped out with Chris. The hangar was full of people, both Starfleet personnel and civilians, waiting for the shuttles to arrive. Jim gripped the hands of the littles tighter and the other children crowded closer to him. Chris and Holly led them down the stairs and through the crowd to an empty space away from the shuttles. Jim settled his kids atop some crates and they waited, for what they weren’t sure. Nobody, not even Chris or Holly, had told them what was coming. 

A group of people walked over and Chris stepped aside with them. He spoke quietly and glanced back at the children. Sighing he nodded and walked back over to them. “Son, I need you to come with me for a minute.”

Jim shook his head, “Can’t leave my kids.”

“It’ll only be a minute.”

He looked around at his kids and slowly nodded. “Okay, but only for a minute.”

Chris led him away from his kids back toward the crowd of people. Halfway there they heard a scream and Jim froze in his tracks. 

“No! I don’t wanna go! JT!”

He looked at Chris and shook his head, “You lied! You’re taking them away! They need me!”

Some of the crowd turned and watched as Chris stepped closer to him and tried to calm him but Jim backed away and took off running toward his kids. Chris ran after him but stopped when Jim dropped to his knees at the open door to the hangar. The kids were gone. They had been loaded into a vehicle and taken away.

Chris and Holly could only stand back and watch as Jim buried his face in his hands, his small frame wracked with sobs. 

“Jimmy?”

He looked up and slowly turned. Her long blonde hair was pulled back away from her face, her eyes were red, and there were tears streaming down her cheeks. She stepped closer to him and he stood to his feet, her arms outstretched she smiled, “My Jimmy.”

He ran into her arms and held her tight fearing she would disappear if he let go. For the first time in a very long time he felt safe. He let her guide him to a waiting car never letting go of her hand, he needed that contact like he’d never needed it before. They drove to the apartment that Starfleet had arranged for them and she settled with him on the couch. They sat in silence until Jim fell asleep in her arms. He was home.

He woke crying for his kids a couple of hours later. Winona sat on the bed with her arms around and they both cried. Neither of them got much sleep that night or the next. On the third night he curled up against her on the couch and played with the fingers of one hand while her other hand ran through his messy blonde hair. “You need a haircut when we get home.”

“Did you miss me?” he asked quietly.

She paused for a moment before she responded, “Of course I did Jim. I always miss you when I’m off-world. Why would you ask me that?”

“Did you even know I was gone?”

She sighed and pulled him closer, “Frank said he’d sent you away for a few months. I guess I assumed he’d sent you to your grandparents. I should have checked… I’m sorry Jim.”

“You didn’t do it. You didn’t lie to me…Frank did…Chris did…” He buried his face in her shoulder and sobbed. She rubbed his back and rocked him slightly whispering reassurances in his ear.

When he finally quieted down she looked down at him and kissed his forehead. “I’m here Jim. If you want to talk…”

“They took my kids. They said we could stay together but they took my kids. They lied to me! Chris lied…”

“What kids Jim?”

“The ones I saved. I took some of the kids to the caves in the woods. We hid there ‘til Chris found us.”

“Oh Jim…They didn’t tell me… I had no idea.” 

“They lost everything. Both their parents…their siblings…they were alone. I had to help them.”

She clasped his hand and squeezed his shoulders, “You did Jimmy. You did. I’ll see if I can pull some strings and find out where the kids went.”

He looked up at her, “Really?”

“I promise Jim, I will try and find out what happened to them.”

He closed his eyes and sighed, “Thank you mom.”

The next day they boarded a shuttle headed for the shipyards in Iowa, Jim never once letting go of his mother’s hand during the trip. When they arrived back at the house Jim stood looking up at the house without moving. Winona took him by the hand and gave it a squeeze. “Welcome home Jim.”

He frowned at the tall brown structure and shook his head but allowed himself to be pulled inside. She took him up to his room and got him settled, “I’m going to go talk to Frank but I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.”

Jim nodded and sat down on his bed as the door closed behind her. 

_Home_

This was not home. Home was Sam. Home was his mother. Home was even the kids that had been sent away. This was not home. This was a house and nothing more. 

A door slammed downstairs and Jim scrambled off the bed into the dark closet shutting the door behind him. The angry voices of both his mother and Frank carried up the stairs. Shutting his eyes and putting his hands over his ears he rocked on the spot shaking his head while the tears streamed down his face. 

The house trembled and he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. The yelling had stopped but he stayed rooted to the spot. The door of his bedroom opened and he could hear footsteps coming toward him he pulled a blanket down from the little shelf above his head. The closet door opened and someone reached into the darkness and touched him. 

He jerked away from them, “Don’t touch me!” He yelled as he tried to retreat further into the closet. 

“Jimmy…it’s okay. It’s mom.” 

He slowly pulled the blanket down to peer over the top. Winona was kneeling in the door with one hand outstretched to her son. “It’s okay sweetheart. Please come out.”

Shoving the blanket aside he threw himself at her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. 

“I’m sorry if we scared you Jim.” She said quietly running a hand through his hair. “Frank won’t do that again. I promise.”

Jim sniffled and clung to her, “Don’t leave me.”

She smiled sadly down at her baby, “I’m not going anywhere Jim. I’m staying right here…”

She sat with him until he fell asleep. Tucking him in she kissed him on the forehead and quietly left the room, closing the door behind her. Jim slept fitfully for a few hours, tossing and turning in his bed, before he woke to hands on his shoulders shaking him gently and someone screaming. 

“Jim. Jim it’s okay sweetheart I’m right here.” 

He opened his eyes and the screaming stopped he looked up at his mother and wrapped his arms around her. She held him close and rubbed his back, “It’s okay. It was just a dream. You’re safe.” She whispered in his ear as she ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve got you.”

He gripped her tight and cried on her shoulder until he fell asleep again. She tucked him under the covers and pulled a couple of thick blankets out of the closet. Laying one one the floor beside his bed she settled in and pulled the other over her. “Good night Jim.” She whispered to the darkness. 

When she woke the next morning Jim was curled up in a ball beside her, his shaggy blonde hair tickling her nose. Wrapping an arm around him she kissed the top of his head he stirred and slowly opened his eyes. “Morning Jimmy.” She said quietly running a hand through his hair. 

He sat up and looked around the room. “My room…”

“Yes sweetheart. You’re home, you’re safe.”

“My kids…”

Winona pulled herself up and sat with her back against his bed holding out a hand to him. “Come here Jimmy.”

He hesitated for a moment before he crawled over to her and snuggled up beside her. She pulled him into her lap and rocked him gently side to side. “I’m going to ask where they sent them. If I can find out I promise I’ll tell you. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up too high, Okay? They may not tell me anything.”

Jim just nodded and laid his head on her shoulder. After a little while she kissed him on the forehead. “Hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“Pancakes?”

Jim sat up and frowned. “Really?”

“If that’s okay with you.”

He nodded and stood up. Winona pulled herself up and put an arm around his shoulders. “Then let’s go make some.” She said as she led him out of his room. 

At the top of the stairs he froze. “What about uncle Frank?”

“He’s not here right now Jim. He’s gone to stay with a friend of his for a few days. It’s just me and you.”

He brightened at that and followed along after his mother. Sitting down at the kitchen table he watched her dance around the kitchen while making pancakes. It wasn’t actually a dance but it looked like one and he decided then that this was going to be one of new favorite memories of her. 

Once the pancakes were done and she’d fried up some bacon she set the plates in the table and poured him a glass of milk. 

Jim stared at the food in front of him and picked up his fork. Winona watched as he took his first few almost hesitant bites. “Good?” She asked as she took a sip of coffee. 

He barely looked up and nodded. “Haven’t had pancakes since Sam left…”

“I’m sorry Jim. I know I haven’t been around as much as you’d like but I have to work if we’re ever going to have a place of our own. I miss Sam too but he’s doing great in school and he’s been a big help for grandma and grandpa Kirk.”

Jim picked at his pancake before taking a bite. He ate silently as Winona watched. Her heart breaking seeing her son so thin. They said he’d gained some weight during the trip home and knowing that just made it worse. 

After his third pancake Winona reached out and put a hand on his arm. “Jimmy. Sweetheart, I can save the leftovers for later you don’t have to eat it all now. I wouldn’t want you getting sick.”

Jim looked from the remaining two pancakes to his mother. “I can have them later?”

“Of course sweetie.”

Jim set his fork down and slid from his chair. “Can I go back to bed?”

Winona nodded and kissed his forehead. “I’ll be down here if you need me okay?”

He gave her a little nod and walked back up the stairs to his room. After putting away the leftovers and cleaning the kitchen she grabbed her comm and settled on the couch. Turning the device over in her hand she sighed and flipped it open. 

A few minutes later she had him on the line. “I was wondering if you could do something for me Admiral?”

_“I’ll do my best. What do you need?”_

“I need to know what happened to the other children from Tarsus IV. The ones that lost their parents.”

_“The nine kids?”_

“Yes Admiral.”

_“Winona please, call me Jonathan.”_

She smiled slightly and nodded, “Sorry, Jonathan. Can you help me?”

_“May I ask why you want to know?”_

“My son…Jimmy…he was there. He’s worried about them. Wants to make sure they’re okay now.”

_“He’s a good kid. I’ll see what I can find out for you Winona. I’ll be in touch.”_

Closing the comm and setting it aside she laid her head back on the couch. Maybe he could tell her. Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as she expected. Maybe because of the circumstances…. Her thoughts were cut off by a scream from upstairs. Jumping to her feet she ran up the stairs and into Jim’s room. The bed was empty and his blanket was gone. 

“Jim?!” She looked around frantically. The door of the closet was open just a little. Walking over she pulled it open. On the floor of the closet in the back corner Jim was huddled with a blanket around him. She slid to the floor beside him and put her arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay baby. I’m here. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” 

She repeated it like a chant, over and over and over again, with tears streaming down her cheeks and her son curled up beside her. He didn’t deserve this. He was a good kid. He shouldn’t have even been there to begin with. 

Their days went much the same way as the first. Jim cautiously eating, wanting to know if there would be enough, could he have more, when would the next meal be? Every time he would ask it was like a knife in her heart. Her son had suffered. He had gone with little or no food. He had lived in a cave. 

She often found him sleeping on the floor of the closet and when she asked him why he just shrugged and said, “The bed is too soft and there’s too much space…” He’d gotten used to the dark cramped cave floor and the closest he had to that at home was his closet. 

After a week Admiral Archer got back to her but it wasn’t what she’d been hoping for. He couldn’t give her the information but he did give her the name of someone else that might be able to help her. Waiting until Jim was settled up in his room she made the call.

Two months later while Jim was talking to the Starfleet appointed therapist she paced the kitchen floor. “You are my last hope. If you can’t tell me anything I’m going to have to break my son’s heart and I don’t think I can handle that Chris. Please, give me something… _anything_.”

_“I’m sorry Winona. The information you’re looking for is confidential and protected. It’s for the good of the kids. I know that’s not what you want to hear and I wish I could help you.”_

“You had them Chris you handed them over. Don’t tell me you don’t know where they went, I know you do.”

_“They didn’t tell me. The only thing I know is that they are safe. Some of them may be with family but I can’t say for sure. I wish I could say they were happy but I don’t know. “_

“What am I supposed to tell Jim? He’s not going to like hearing, I don’t know. That’s not going to go over well. He’s been asking me daily if I’d heard about his kids Chris.”

_“Tell him whatever you need to.”_

Winona sat down at the table and sighed heavily. “Thanks anyway Chris.”

Shutting the comm and setting it aside she sat back in the chair and closed her eyes. He’d been hurt so much already she couldn’t bear to him broken hearted.  _Tell him whatever you need to._  Shaking her head she opened her eyes and stood to her feet.  

Walking up the stairs and to Jim’s room she could hear the therapist talking quietly. They had wanted Jim to go to them and they’d tried it…once. Jim didn’t do well. The next time they sent the therapist to him. He was responding but he was still wary. 

She pushed the door opened and stepped inside. The young woman was sitting on the floor beside the closet door and she could just make out a tuft of blonde hair in the far corner. “Jim? Sweetheart?”

The therapist stood and walked toward her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I said…he won’t come out and he won’t talk to me.”

“That’s okay. Let’s call it a day. I need to talk to him about something anyway.”

The young woman nodded. “I’ll see myself out.”

Winona moved closer to the closet and kneeled down on the floor. “Jim? Baby come here…I need to talk to you.”

Jim peered over the blanket and scooted over to the door. “What is it?” He asked quietly. 

“I just got off the comm with…with Starfleet.”

“My kids….”

Winona nodded and he crawled over to her and curled up beside her. Putting an arm around him she sighed, “Yeah, They told me…they told me about your kids.”

“Where are they? Are they okay? Are they safe? Do they have enough food?”

“Slow down…They couldn’t tell me exactly where they were but they are fine. They are with family and close friends and they are being taken care of.”

“I miss them…” he said with a sniffle. 

“I know you do sweetheart but they’re okay. They’re getting back to their lives. They’re moving forward.”

“I don’t want things to go back to the way they were. I want things to be like they are now. Me and you. I like this. I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want to stay with uncle Frank.”

He pulled him closer and kissed him on the forehead, “I know sweetie. I wish I didn’t have to leave again but I have to work. If I had any other choice you know I would stay here with you.”

“When do you leave again?”

“A couple of weeks.”

Jim wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. “Please don’t go. Please don’t leave me.”

Three months later Jim was running across the empty stretch of field between the house and the barn. His arms were full with blankets and anything edible that he could get his hands on that wouldn’t spoil too quickly. Behind him Frank was yelling from the back door but he wasn’t listening. The only thing that mattered was getting to the barn.

After his mother left and Frank returned he’d taken to hiding in the old barn to get away from his uncle. For the first month he’d been fine as long as Frank left him alone but when Frank started noticing food going missing he went off on him. When Jim had run out of the house his uncle had gone through his room and found a stash of food scattered around his room. He’s hidden food in the closet, under the bed, in his drawers, and in any spot he could find. 

When Jim had returned Frank had yelled at him even more. That night he woke with the nightmares and sat in his closet in the dark crying until the sun came up. The therapist stopped coming as often and eventually quit coming all together. School had started while Winona was still home but she had arranged for him to do everything from home for the year.

Spending his days in the house while Frank worked and spending his nights in the old barn kept things quiet…at least until Frank caught him raiding the kitchen. He ran on instinct. He knew Frank wouldn’t lay a hand on him, not really, but he still ran. Once he was inside the barn he shut the door behind him and headed up to the loft.

Him and Sam used to play up in the loft or hide out after school. Sam made sure it was safe for them to be up there and Jim had watched him so he knew where everything was kept and how to fix anything he might need to. Dropping his food and blankets on a corner next to an old metal box he lifted the lid and started putting the food away. 

After putting everything away and closing the lid he picked up the blanket and wrapped it around himself as he settled into his makeshift bed and looked out the window at the darkening sky. He’d alway been fond of the stars. His dad had worked among the stars and had died there as well. He was born among the stars and maybe that’s why he felt a pull. 

One day maybe he’d get there too.  


End file.
